The Wishing Girl (..And The Creature She Met)

A Price

Another night came and the gang of vampires gathered and prepared in the cave for their nightly roam. The wishing girl was not present, for she sat outside by the cliff. She stared at the sunset and remembered when the traveler told her of life and nature's beauty after she got transformed. She was enjoying the sunset alone and was caught off guard when she noticed a figure sitting beside her in her peripheral vision.
"Are you enjoying your life?"
The wishing girl turned to face the half-vampire. She noticed how his hat rested on his lap and how there was no vast shadow covering his face. She smiled and looked back at the sunset.
"Yes, I am," she replied, "Thank you for helping me. Thank you for making my wish come true."
The traveler smiled back. "I hope you find this choice to be worth it."
It was very much worth it, she thought. It is everything to me. She nodded as she noticed the colours changing in the sky. The moon started to reveal itself more and more.
"I was so unsure of how my new life would be," she explained, "But night after night, I cherished every moment. My longing is over. I am truly happy now."
The traveler nodded again, and he turned his head at the sound of footsteps on the rocks. The eldest vampire stood before them while the others waited in the distance.
"Are you ready?" he asked. The wishing girl nodded.
She stood up and fixed her white dress. It was slightly dusty from sitting by the cliff, but she would be able to get by without anyone noticing. The eldest vampire's eyes stayed on the girl as she walked toward her friends, but she quickly turned back to face the traveler, still staring out at the horizon.
"Why don't you come with us?"
The eldest vampire laughed and gently put a hand on her shoulder. The wishing girl thought it was interesting because he always had an intimidating, rough demeanor, yet his touch was gentle on her.
"He does not care to join us," he told the wishing girl, "He has not joined us in a long time. He ventures alone and it's likely to stay that way."
The wishing girl nodded, and started to walk with the rest of her friends. But before she rode off, she caught the traveler waving her goodbye. She waved back.
Like the nights that preceded, four motorcycles swiftly moved their way through the empty lands, the trees, and any forms of nature nearby. They rode through the black woods, where the small animals seemed to coil away from the quick-moving shadows. The branches of the trees, which were once inviting and full of life, now bore a resemblance to long, grasping arms, reaching for any form of life to come into their clutches. The gang did not notice due to their speed, but the wishing girl could often see it. She noticed things a lot more than anyone else did anyway.
They continued to ride until the wishing girl felt a deceleration. The four fanged men came to a stop and wandered through the trees, almost completely blending in with them. It reminded the wishing girl of the times they'd spent venturing and chatting aimlessly, but it seemed to her they were looking for something. She continued to walk with them, Dwayne by her side. He was in her thoughts, and he stayed there for hours on end.
In the midst of the forest were a group of lively youths. The glow of the fire made from them made it near impossible for the gang to ignore them. They shouted and danced with their clothing decorations rattling and bouncing with every movement. They seemed to be celebrating something, but the wishing could not tell what it was that they were so happy about. She turned her head to ask Dwayne, for the two loved to share her knowledge. But his face was stern and he marched forward with the rest of the gang where they climbed a nearby tree. It was tall and dark and its branches stretched out farther than anyone could imagine. They were also strong and were able to withstand the weight of the four vampires. They stared down at the ignorant dancing people. They rested in the tree for a moment when, in a flash, the four vampires were no longer there. They were already attacking the humans below them.
The wishing girl watched it all. Her hands shook as they parted her curled hair away from her face. She wrapped her arms around her body as her eyes widened. The four fanged creatures darted towards the once dancing people, ripping them apart as if their bodies were made of paper. Red jelly spilled and parts sprawled. It was vivid in her mind. The four vampires, her friends who she loved so much, looked more like monsters than they ever did before. Hungrily, they clinged and grabbed. And when all was spilled and lifeless, they feasted. They consumed the careless youths.
When they arrived back to the tree, their clothes were bloodied. They were more bloodied than the first time she saw them that fateful night. The lower halves of their faces were painted with dripping red. Their eyes have also changed drastically. Before this moment, she could lay her eyes on theirs and would see a beautiful crystal blue. And of course, most beautiful than the rest were Dwayne's, which were a deep brown. But she did not recognize those shades, for what replaced them were a glowing yellow with hints of orange. Even their fangs were more apparent, and she couldn't help but stare at them. The eldest vampire, looking more cruel than ever, stared at the frightened girl in a disgusted, unsatisfied manner. Her eyes met his before he spoke,
"You remember, don't you? You have a new life now," he told her. A slight condescending tone could be detected in his voice. "That includes feeding."
The wishing girl did not say anything. She could not say anything, so she feels so much more. The eldest vampire spoke to her again.
"You must feed, dear girl."
His words pierced her, but he did not yell at her. He did not scold her. He only stated a fact, but it sounded so much like a command.
They rode back to the cave after that. The wishing girl was noticeably behind the rest with thoughts of the past hour on her mind. She attempted to walk faster to catch up with Dwayne, but she could not seem to be successful in that. Eventually, the entire gang could no longer be seen from the outside of the cave. All except the eldest, who turned around to face the girl. His eyes no longer had that terrifying yellow glow. He spoke softly to her once again,
"You are a fine addition to all of us. You are so much like us already. But there are things you may have forgotten about, or perhaps you choose to simply ignore them. You have a new life now. You must enjoy the pleasures and the pains that come with it. You must adapt with us. If you are unable to adapt and continue your new lifestyle, there is no use for you to stay."
Before the wishing girl could say anything, the eldest vampire already vanished in the cave. She stood out and sat by the cliff just like she did before. She stared out at the beautiful night sky. She imagined the stars looking down at her curiously. Perhaps they were smiling at her. A few clouds remained and they seemed to surround the moon. To her, it seemed like the moon began to reveal itself, but did not continue. She held her face in her forearms and began to sob.
It was a still, peaceful night when the friends of the wishing girl came up to her as she sat by the cliff, creeping sorrowfully as they hoped they didn't disturb anyone else who could be near. They reached the girl and observed her by the cliff. Their eyes were full of pity as they moved closer. They almost scared the wishing girl once she saw them. They became unrecognizable to her. She almost completely forgot about them since she became transformed. Tears filled her eyes when her eyes laid on the two brothers, the brothers who were once her two best friends. She hugged them tightly as she smiled.
"We missed you," one of them said, "Are you well?"
The wishing girl nodded. She knew the brothers would be interested in her adventures, so she invited them to sit beside her. She told them everything. She started with her first encounter with the gang, she told them of her transformation and the members of the gang. She told them of Dwayne and how close they grew. She smiled as she told these stories. Her tone of voice was filled with so much satisfaction, it seemed to the brothers that she was happier with her new life, away from them and the rest of the world. They could tell her thousands of stories from the boardwalk and their childish adventures, but none of them could compare to her real and riveting experiences. Not even their imaginations could do them justice. They listened intently, and they noticed her smile start to fade as she continued with her stories. She told them of the other night and the humans that were no more. She never saw them in her life, but her voice was full of sympathy and sorrow. She spoke of the excitement and joys of her fascinating life, and she spoke of the horrors and pains that not even she could imagine.
The brothers listened sympathetically, and the darker-haired brother reached his hand out to touch her shoulder.
"You're pained for now, but we have crafted a plan," he said as he revealed his other hand from behind his back. He firmly held a stake crafted from wood in a light brown colour, similar to his brother's hair. He held it out for the wishing girl to take it. She stared at it in a sort of confused manner. She then looked up at her friend.
"Please," he explained, "You do not have to bring your life to great suffering! We have crafted a stake. You must plunge it into the heart of your gang's leader. He will melt and spill over the rocks, and you will be human again! You can roam the boardwalk like you once did without any fears or burdens creeping behind you! You can return and live out your life."
The wishing girl listened to her old friend's plan. She shook her head.
"I couldn't," she told him, "It is nobody's fault but my own. I cannot end another life to continue my own."
The dark-haired brother shook his head.
"You can kill the leader and the rest of the gang, and you will not have to suffer. But if you choose not to, you will be unhappy. You might never experience the wonder and happiness you felt the first few days of your transformation."
The wishing girl sighed, staring at the stake. She thanked the brothers before they left. She thought their plan over. She could save herself or lose herself. And it will cost her love. If she was to act on this plan, it must be soon. She spent the rest of the night by the cliff, occasionally crying to herself. She looked at the sky and observed the coming of the dawn. Shades of blue, violet, and orange seemed to paint the sky as it awaited the rise of the sun. She looked back at the stake, noticing how it shook with the trembling of her hand.
She decided to spend her last day with the gang. She wanted to live it to the fullest, for after that, she was to be gone. She learned to love her life and she discovered the fun it brought her. But it seemed as though it can only be a temporary thing for someone like her. She could not stay, for it would only bring her suffering.
Throughout the day, the brothers' plan continued to play on in her mind. With the stake they have given to her, she can sacrifice the gang and live her remaining life as a human. The four undead men who she has befriended and shared mutual trust with will have perished at her hands. She will no longer be one of them and then, she can freely roam the boardwalk and the open lands as the sunlight touches her. She can explore with her old friends again and they will be just as they were when they first met. She will live a human life in the beach town of Santa Carla without any sorrows or pains! No, she thought. That's not true. Yes, she will have a human life and will be able to live freely in sun-covered land. But who is to say she will not be sorrowful? Who is to say she will not experience pains? She may obtain employment and be a target of exclusion and ridicule from her coworkers. She may be constantly scolded by a boss just for trying to get by. She may make friends and grow apart from them. She did not seem to mind it with the brothers in all the time she spent with the gang, but it is a different feeling when done to her. She may meet a young boy her age and perhaps they will enjoy the pleasures of life together. She may feel a bond that will be unique and persistent or she may feel that same feeling many times throughout her life. But she felt it could not be. What could compare to the feeling she had spending time with Dwayne? What else was there for her? And is it really deserved for the gang to die in order for her to continue living? The gang of vampires, that welcomed her and showed her a unique and wonderful experience of a life that is known only to them, should never have this fate. She knew them and she knew herself. She could not do it. Being a vampire was her decision and her fault. Only hers.
She thought of her life as a vampire with the gang. Every night, there would be constant laughter and shouting and riding away to wherever they were headed. David's usual cruel and dangerous aura would vanish among the gang, and he would laugh at the things they would be talking about. The other two members would be joking and creating jokes between the two of them. And Dwayne, he would be handsome as ever and retain that quiet and mysterious nature the wishing girl fell in love with. She would be happy with him. But another thought formed in her mind. Yes, she would still ride with the gang and laugh with the gang and roam the boardwalk occasionally as well as going on a few dates with Dwayne, but there was more to a vampiric life. Sooner than she would think, she would have to watch all forms of life cower away from her. She would have to take the lives from innocent townspeople, as the gang would request. She would feast on their flesh and drink their blood. She would mutilate them and tear them apart until there was nothing left of them. She would share this experience with the gang and it would be a hobby they would partake in every night. Slowly, the wishing girl would noticeably lose all the humanity within her. She would become one of them. And then.. what?
She spend the rest of the night with Dwayne. She knew that after this night, she could never see Dwayne. She can never ride with him or talk with him or have him hold her. She can never kiss him or explore love with him. She had forsaken and sacrified her human life, and suffered newfound pains in her new life. She could not tell of them, so he knew nothing about it.
But perhaps, she should.
"Dwayne..?" she started.
He looked to her, a slight smile on his face as his eyes were fixated on her beauty. She continued.
"Do you like being a vampire?"
Her question brought him a look of slight confusion. He thought of the next few words he would say as he looked out at the sky. They were taking a walk together, right through the same forest they met. Only he did not know that.
"Well, I.. I learnt to live with it.. and sooner than I thought, I began to like the idea. I thought it was good then, and I still believe so," he replied, "So, yes, I do like being a vampire. It is who I am and I cannot imagine myself being any different."
The wishing girl nodded, thinking of her next question. "Have you ever wished of being a human?"
Dwayne turned his head back to the wishing girl. There was something on her mind, he knew that, but what? What could he know? What will she be willing to tell him? He stared at the sky again and told her his response.
"There were times where I did, but I know that cannot be changed. And I accept that, really. I don't mind the life I have now. I'll be a vampire forever and I enjoy it."
His eyes looked into the wishing girl's, which stared at the ground the whole time.
"You don't regret becoming one, do you?" he asked her. The wishing girl tensed.
"Do you think I am fit to be one?"
She hoped he wouldn't ask his previous question again. She hoped he did not assume she was ignoring him, but the question he asked made her want to run far away so that she may never hear it again.
"Do you think I will be happy? Do you think I will bring a sort of usefulness to the gang? Oh, Dwayne, am I worthy?"
As she spoke the last question, her eyes gazed pleadingly into his. She finally look at him. Dwayne's beautiful dark eyes stared into hers. He did not move.
"I think you are very much worthy," he told her, "I think you bring something that was not quite there before. Before your arrival, I could not sit and stare out at the stars while pondering, and having talks with someone beside me. Someone who was just as quiet as me and just as interested in the things I was interested in. I can really relate to you. I believe that there was something out there that brought you here. You're a wonderful addition, and if I were to continue my days as a vampire with anyone in the gang, I would want it to be you."
He smiled slightly again, and the wishing girl felt warmer. She felt like tears were about to form. She was so in love with him. It hurt her to say goodbye to him, and he did not even realize that is what she was doing. I'm sorry, my love, she thought, I'm so very sorry. She hoped that his life as a vampire would treat him kindly as the days go by.
"Dwayne, my love, you're a very thoughtful and wonderful man, even if that is technically not what you are. At least, not anymore. But I just.. I want you to remember, and keep this in your mind very well, that no matter what happens, whatever fate will bring to us or the gang or anyone else we may happen to know or meet.. Please know that I have always treasured you and everything we have done. Thank you, Dwayne. Thank you for making me so happy. You were like the sunrise to me. I really do appreciate you, I'll love you forever!"
It was true. He was the sunrise in her life. And perhaps, he is also her sunset.
They noticed the dawn and the way the golden rays spread and painted the dark sky a lighter colour. It was time for them to go back to the cave. The two walked back home together, but the wishing girl's steps became faster. Her heart accelerated, the night was ending. Her attempt to tell Dwayne of her fate was unsuccessful. She could not tell him.
When they reached the outer edges of the cave, the wishing girl turned to Dwayne and stared into his eyes. She smiled and stared innocently, yet knowingly. Dwayne kept a small smile on his face as he watched her. This made her happy.
"I love your smile," she said, "Please keep that smile."
Dwayne's smile grew wider at her comment and he took her in his embrace for a kiss. Everything was still now, and still it will remain.
The wishing girl raised her frail arms over the edge of the cliff as she leant, and she looked towards the horizon for the beautiful, golden rays of the sun, for its rise would bring her eternal rest. She stared out at the sky for a while longer and admired the way the sun rose. It was greeting her, she thought. The warmth and the orange and yellow vibrance of the sun and the lightening of the sky comforted her. From a deep, dark blue to a, inviting shade of indigo, the wishing girl stared. She was at rest. She had the sun and the sky with her. She smiled at the landscape as her eyes glittered. She leant closer to it, reached her gentle hands out as if to join it, and leapt for its embrace.
It was at sunset when the brothers gathered at the edge of the cliff and weeped silently. Before their knees was the abandoned stake given to the wishing girl they knew. They clinged to each other as if they were small children again, and shook as they watched the sky. It was the same sky everyone watched. It was the same sky the wishing girl watched.
The sun set more and more, casting a beautiful orange and pink glow. The beauty of the horizon made the brothers forget about what was to happen as night would fall. They heard footsteps near the cave. They turned their heads and there in their sights was a vampire. The vampire was tall with flowing dark hair, and he wore a leather jacket with a painted design. His eyes were piercing and held a look of fierceness and confusion.
It's him, the brothers both thought.
In any usual situation, the observing stare would later become a predatory stare, which would lead to the heightened fierceness of the vampire and the demise of the humans. But in this moment, it was not so. The brothers stared back at him.
"Are the others coming?"
The vampire nodded.
"What happened? What did you do to her?"
His eyes widened at their question. His look of surprise became a look of pain. He shook his head.
"She's gone, man. She's gone now."
He stepped closer to the brothers and carefully sat down next to them. He watched the sunset with them and, for a moment, it looked as if the three were all the same. One of them being a vampire was not a concern. They were simply together. They were all thinking the same thing. They were mourning the same loss.
A few minutes have passed, and the three of them began to hear footsteps from the cave. Another three, all of them being vampires, noticed them.
"Dwayne, are you coming? What are you doing?" one of the vampires called. He had platinum hair and a glare in his eyes. He was their leader. He walked closer to his fellow member, and the others followed him. The dark-haired vampire looked back at them, a warm glittering sensation forming within his eyes.
"We will never see her again," he told them.
The leader's eyes widened, and those behind them turned their heads to look to each other. They joined their friend as well as the two human brothers, watching the sunset together. They sat down, thinking of nothing. What could they think of anyway? All that was in their focus was the sun, the sky, the pinks and oranges, the blues, the beauty forming, and the beauty they lost.
The sky became dark again, and the four vampires at the scene began to leave. As they walked to their bikes, the leader spoke a few words of remembrance.
"She was a very young soul, both as a human and a vampire. She was young, and she will stay young forever."
His peers nodded and kept walking.
"The life we live was her wish. I hope she was happy with that wish."
They rode off once again, and they reached an empty land. They stopped at the dirt rode and walked again. Only grass surrounded them. From the distance, they could see a familiar face. Though it was not who they wished to see the most at the moment, it was still a welcoming face they could mourn with.
The traveling half-vampire noticed them and waved, his hat still on. He walked toward his old friends with a smile on his face, but as he got nearer, his smile began to fade.
"Do you remember the last time you saw her?" the leader asked the traveler. This made him tilt his head and nod slightly.
"Yeah, sure I do. We were watching the sunset together. Come to think of it, I don't think I saw her anywhere after. Is she with you?"
The leader sighed and hung his head.
"No. She is gone."
The traveler began to remove his hat and held it over his chest.
"Oh" was all he could say at first, but he felt the need to add onto his reaction.
"Was she happy?"
The leader nodded slightly, "I hope so."
A small smile appeared on the traveler's face.
"You know, she's been wanting to join you all since she first laid eyes on you down in the boardwalk," he explained as he reminisced. He believed that telling them of old times would give them some sort of feeling, whatever it may be. He went on.
"He saw one of you in the forest, and something must have clicked in her to want to be like you. She took that guy back to the cave and ran. And when she ran, she was thinking, "I wanna see him. I wanna be like him. Please let me see him again!"
He chuckled a bit.
"I met her the next day and she told me all about it. And then..."
"And then, you brought her to me.." the leader continued, making the traveler nod.
During this conversation, the handsome dark-haired vampire's mind ran. He was not told of how the wishing girl had found them, only that she wanted to join them. He never would have known if it weren't for the traveler that he was the reason she wanted to be transformed. It was he who she laid eyes on, his dark hair and dark eyes. His perfect tan and black clothes. She saw him and wanted to be with them. She wanted to be with him. Alerting the others who surrounded him, he shouted.
"It was her!" exclaimed Dw, and he ran through the grass, staring out at the sky. "You were there when I lay unconscious in the forest! You came to me, as if a sympathizing angel to a miserable demon, came to my aid and carried me all the way home!" He held his arms out to the horizon as a humanly tear formed and trickled down his tanned cheek.
The other vampires could only watch him. They could not say anything to him, for there were no thoughts present. They slowly walked behind their dark-haired friend, and doing as he did, stared out at the star-filled sky that would give them comfort that night, and every night that followed.